


The Destruction of Sasaki Haise

by Snoopy384



Series: To be Born Anew [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brain Damage, Business, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Gen, Kidnapping, Mario Kart, POV Alternating, Personality Swap, Psychological Trauma, Spoilers, Strong Language, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-04-28 19:19:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5102660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snoopy384/pseuds/Snoopy384
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 50: Hand.<br/>Sasaki spends his final days under observation in Cochlea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Grade A Meat

**Author's Note:**

> After finishing this, I realised Eto had gotten to Kanae. Too late to change the story, guess in this Universe that never happened. First story problems. I'll be adding more tags as I update (I can do that, right?) cause sometimes tags spoil the story. I should have edited this more

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My arm? Over there? I can fix this.

“What’s wrong, Haise Sasaki? Kill me.”

His breathing was ragged, coming out in uneven gasps. As much as he disliked the prospect of having to kill someone he knew, it was his job to see this through. Although every fibre of his being was screaming at him not to, he had gained the advantage in the fight. Sasaki should have taken this opportunity to use his advantageous position to convince Tsukiyama to surrender; he should have used any means make the man give himself up, but he was unfocused. His ears were filled with a chant of “DON'T KILL HIM" begging him to spare the man’s life. The chanting grew louder, more desperate and he felt his eyelid begin to twitch. He wanted nothing more than to shout back at the voice; to give him a moment to think the situation over. His world was spinning, and the blue suit below him seemed to be dancing across his vision. Yukimura was unsteady in his hand; even if he had the will to kill, he wouldn’t be capable. For one blessed moment, the chant stopped. He inhaled deeply to try and steady himself when he heard a metallic  _clink_  from behind him. He felt a scream welling up inside him, but he had not yet figured out the reason. He looked to see why his quinque had fallen, but was only met with red blossoming from where his right hand should be. The forming scream ripped from his throat and his remaining hand clutched the stub to his chest as he doubled over himself. There was a flash of purple across his vision and pain erupted across his chest as he was thrown backwards, off the man in blue.

The new laceration jolted him out of his shock and he quickly regained his stance. His quinque out of reach, he brought out his next best weapon: his kagune. The four crimson tentacles readied themselves in the air around him as he lowered his center of gravity, preparing to continue the fight. Surveying the situation, he noticed his missing appendage on the ground in front of him. Suddenly, his world switched. He was no longer standing below metallic catwalks, surrounded by machinery, he was standing in an aisle on a red carpet, surrounded on either side by pews. Movement opposite him brought him back to reality as his two adversaries lunged for him at once. Still reeling from what he could only assume was a memory, his kagune reacted before his mind; the tentacles split up to block both men. He felt his kagune tear, and made a split-second decision: he would use all four tentacles to block the man in blue and dodge the second. He wouldn’t risk bringing out more of the blood red appendages in fear of losing control. Freed from the weak grasp of Sasaki’s kagune, the man in purple charged him once again. As Sasaki prepared to dodge his attack, he caught a glimpse of his limb lying behind the two. For a moment, his opponents were no longer two koukaku-types, he was facing a one-winged ukaku and a half-ghoul entreé. The image lasted only a second, as the second man closed in and blocked his view, but that was all it took. His dodge was too slow by just a moment, and the attack grazed his forehead. His vision filled with red as he stumbled back, off balanced. His left hand flew to his forehead to cover the gaping wound, it had cut deeply; any more and it could have been fatal. Once again, he glimpsed his missing hand, but this time a thought suddenly came to him,  _I know how to fix this_.

. .-.. ... . .-- .... . .-. .

“... you’re nothing but a murdering cannibal. That’s what you all are.”

Below them, Matsumae’s world suddenly went black.  _My eyesight is  gone!_ She brought a hand to her cheek to find blood. She desperately lashed out behind her, hoping her kagune would connect with something -- anything.

“You missed!” she heard her reaper taunt. A slice through the air behind her told her he had raised the humming quinque chainsaw above his head.

Above her, she heard him mumble, “I’m sorry, Mr. MM.” He brought the chainsaw down thunderously. She felt the cold metal tear through her flesh. She warmly remembered a little Shuu asking her for help reading a human cookbook as she grew cold. He was such a precocious child.

 

"Kijima squad, proceed to the roof and provide backup for First Class Sasaki."

Sasaki’s eyes flashed between his lonely arm and the two well-dressed men standing before him. He watched as the scene changed between his impending doom and his ray of hope. If he could just reach his hand, he could turn this around. The clattering rhythm of boots running up a flight of stairs broke through the silence. Tsukiyama and his servant had heard them as well. Perhaps in a moment of mercy, the two valued their own lives over ending his own and they escaped. Without them, he could only focus on his severed hand. He saw it lying a short distance away on a red carpet -- on a dark, concrete roof. As the rolling thunder of reinforcements approached, he heard one of them cry out “First Class Sasaki”. The name sounded simultaneously so foreign, yet so familiar. He desperately scooped up his limb and shoved it against his stub, hoping for it to reattach. The marching stopped and he looked up for the reason. He saw two men -- a familiar girl, standing above him on the metal catwalk -- on the balcony overlooking pews. He distantly heard a woman snarl  _You might as well eat yourself_. He obeyed, tearing a chunk from his left arm and gulping it down. He heard a man shout from nearby, " _C'est merveilleux!",_  as he felt the flesh stitch itself back together in his wounds.

 

“Kuramoto!”

One moment Itou was standing in awe of this ghoul's monstrous regenerative power, the next he was in the air and Senza was falling from his grasp. He landed hard. The wind was knocked out of him, but he quickly propped himself up to return to his position with his squad. He was having trouble catching his breath and he heard a  _clink_  when he moved.  _My ribcage_? Upon realising, the pain of bones breaking skin hit him.  _Are you friggin kidding me_? This was not the time to be getting injured. If the ribs were visible outside, there was no telling the damage they were doing internally. He couldn't let this stop him, he could see the quinx and his squad mates would not be able to take down this ghoul without him. He pushed himself up despite the vibrant red that spilled forth once he was upright. He ran for his quinque, stopping only when he heard, "Yonebayashi!", shouted above the din of other commands. He instantly looked back to the fight in time to see Rank 1 Kuroiwa rushing the ghoul whose Kagune had just engulfed Rank 2 Yonebayashi. Kuroiwa's and Rank 1 Urie's Tsunagi sliced through the Kagune, which elicited a scream. Itou grabbed Senza and ran in as Urie hesitated at the sound of the scream. The ghoul noticed Itou's arrival and produced a second Kagune which dispersed the other investigators upon attacking. Moving like a snake, it launched out the glass and plummeted.

 

"Itou squad, eliminate any remaining Tsukiyama family servants. S1 squad and Kijima squad will suppress SS-rated ghoul Haise.”

Backup came down from the catwalk and approached him, snapping him out of the stupor. Sasaki wasn't seeing the two investigators, he was seeing two ghouls -- a meal. Choosing to fight, he took out his kagune and wrapped one of the tentacles around his healing arm and forming it into a sword. It feels right. The other investigators -- ghouls stood behind the first two. Sasaki saw their mouths moving but couldn’t make out the words. Prepared to launch an attack the moment he saw an opening, he watched his opponents’ brown -- red eyes focus on him. The eyes flicked to something behind him and he was given his opportunity to attack. Before he could move, however, three consecutive shots rang out. He surmised that the reason the eyes looked away was to confirm  the sniper on the opposing building. He fell and the world became black, his final sight of the red carpeted floor and ornate patterned door frame behind his meal and its saviour.

 

“Special Class Arima will be in charge of containment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS A GODDAMN ARMS RACE why didnt i think of this joke ealrier  
> I really wanted to get this out before the next chapter came out. I've already got the next couple chapters started, so they should be out fairly quickly. No idea on release schedule cause I'm bad with that. But expect... soon? Also, if you notice any errors in like.. facts, for example Senza is Kuramoto's quinque, please tell me cause I wanted to make this as real as possible. You know, aside from kanae being okay.  
> ALSO If you have any trouble understanding the way I'm writing this, please tell me and I'll do my best to clear it up in future chapters. Also note, future chapters are gonna have a completely different format than this and limited dialogue.  
> Edit: i just noticed that s1 was composed of only ihei and ui.. so ui is going .. by himself. does he know? i should have edited more


	2. New Wounds, Forming Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will take care of you, once again.

.- .-. .. -- .-

 

Day 1 of Haise's Confinement- 08:00

At approximately 000 hours, I was informed of Haise's loss of control during the Tsukiyama Family Extermination Operation. If I am to be completely frank, there is no reason he should have been spared. I am aware of the fact that Ui sees him as a potential threat to the CCG's image. This lead me to believe that he would have ordered Haise's extermination. He and Furuta were the first to find him, as they reported. Haise seemed to be suffering a psychotic dissociation from reality due to the severe head trauma. Ui and Furuta reported he tried to eat himself in order to reattach his arm and was prepared to attack them. Although it's procedural to confirm Haise's self awareness after he loses control, the sniper was apparently inexperienced and overestimated how much RC suppressant he would need. Currently, he is still unconscious. From his position on the cot, there is still a visible depression under the bandages where part of his skull has yet to heal. It will take a number of days longer to heal than normal. I will return to check his condition in twelve hours.

Arima

 

Day 1 of Haise's Confinement - 20:00

After twelve hours, Haise is still unconscious. If he is lucid when he awakes, I will inform him that Associate Special Class Mado has been put in charge of the Quinx. It’s only temporary, though; they may be disposed of unless Haise makes a full recovery and is shown not to have regained his memories. As the Quinx are still technically considered an experiment, without Haise to guide them, they may fall into disarray and end up being discarded. If the Quinx can prove to be an asset, however, the project will continue. I will return in twelve hours.

Arima

 

Day 2 of Haise's Confinement - 08:00

Upon arriving in Haise's cell, he awoke. Promptly, he began to scream and scratch the bandages covering his head and torso. The brain is the most complex organ, therefore, it will take a long time before it completely heals. In humans, the brain cannot efficiently repair itself after being damaged and neurons can never be replaced. Although little is known about the specifics of ghoul regeneration, the research team is working under the assumption that Haise's regeneration will affect all aspects of his brain. Until then, Haise will experience temporary brain damage. Seeing as he was unresponsive to my questioning, a guard was summoned to restrain him from tampering with the bandaging. I will return in twelve hours.

Arima

 

Day 2 of Haise's Confinement - 20:00

Upon arrival in Haise's cell, he was standing, facing the away from the door with his arms crossing his chest in thought. It seems the guards removed his restraints when he regained consciousness. When he heard the door open, he took a seat at the edge of his cot and sat with his hands on his knees. His posture is different. As soon as I took my seat he asked me where he was. I informed him he that was being held in Cochlea until his sanity could be verified. Upon hearing this answer his eyes narrowed. He seemed to have no further questions so I began with my own, starting with his name. He watched me for a moment before answering. Ryouko. He refused to supply a last name. From this point I am assuming that, due to the brain damage, Haise created another personality as a coping mechanism. Next, I asked if he recognised me to which he replied that he did not. I continued this line of questioning, with Haise giving curt but honest responses. After exhausting all the questions about himself, the next topic we touched on was his charge, Fueguchi. I warned him that if he did not recover, his ownership rights would be revoked and it would be exterminated. Upon hearing this name he grew frantic and held his face in his hands at the mention of extermination. After a few moments he composed himself and suddenly asked to see "Hinami". He offered his life in exchange for his "daughter". Assuming “Hinami” is Fueguchi’s given name, I believed this would be an interesting information gathering opportunity. I informed him that the next time I came to visit I would bring Hinami. He thanked me but did not meet my eyes. It is absurd that Haise, at 22 years old, would think a teen-aged ghoul was his daughter. I will return when I obtain permission for their meeting.

Arima

 

... .... .. .-. .- --.. ..-

 

Shirazu tapped his foot against the floor; this meeting had already gone in for far too long for his liking and they've made no progress finding the ghoul that took Saiko. It would be more effective to just get out there and look for the ghoul that themselves. At least, that's what he wanted to think; Aogiri were notoriously adept at hiding their headquarters.  As much as he wanted to help, he was powerless in this situation.

He was sure Urie was acting on his best behaviour, sitting in a debriefing meeting full of the top brass. Across from them sat Special Class Ui, Special Class Washuu and Bureau Director Washuu. To either side sat First Class Ito, Rank 1 Michibata Rank 1 Kuroiwa Juuzo's squad and Associate Special Class Mado. Soon enough, the debrief ended and the meeting turned to the as-of-yet-unnamed ghoul encountered during the extermination operation. Shirazu let his mind wander from the conversation. He wanted to know about the ghoul, but his concern for Sassan was greater. He hadn’t returned after the last mission and nobody was telling them anything. It was frustrating seeing how little information they were privileged to even though the Quinx knew him best. It was just an extension of how little the CCG trusted Sassan. Whenever he or Mutsuki would ask about Sassan, Akira would give him a worried look and tell him _Sasaki will be back soon_. Shirazu momentarily brought his attention back to the meeting long enough to hear the other investigators mention the new ghoul’s code name, “Smile”, and a tentative SS~ ranking. Shirazu’s interest was piqued at the next part of the conversation.

“A ghoul matching its description could not be found in any records. This ghoul is either extremely secretive or is so deadly that none have survived to report about it.” Special Class Washuu continued on to explain the ranking, “Due to its high regenerative capacity and its assumed lethality, it is to be assumed that this ghoul is a high ranking officer within Aogiri Tree." Shirazu found a ray of hope in this. If that ghoul was high ranking, they probably needed Saiko for something; they probably needed her _alive_  for something. He was appalled, realising that he had inadvertently thought Saiko was done for. This, however, brought up the possibility of a recon and rescue operation. As if reading his mind, Bureau Director Washuu brought up Saiko's capture. Immediately, the conversation held Shirazu’s full attention. He restated what had happened to her, as reported by Ito and Quinx squads, then asked if anyone had any thoughts on this. He seemed to already have a plan and was only opening the platform to others out of respect. Immediately, Special Class Washuu spoke up,

“With all due respect to the fallen, can we really spare the manpower and the resources, to track down a lone ghoul simply for the sake of one investigator -- of an experiment?” The way he spat _investigator_ , mumbling the last part under his breath, made Shirazu’s skin crawl. He wanted to punch Washuu; he wanted to tell him how much Saiko had grown in the past few months, how much she had been trying to support the team despite her circumstances. He knew better, however. The logical part of his mind reigned over the emotional part for the moment. He understood what Washuu was trying to get at, despite the tone he used. Without missing a beat, Ito spoke up.

“Rank 2 Yonebayashi is not quite fallen yet. Based on this information about Smile, I see a high probability that she is still alive.” Ignoring the man's deepening frown, he continued, “It’s more likely that Aogiri Tree would send a strong and high ranking officer for her capture. If she is being held in one of their bases, a rescue operation would prove beneficial with the information she will have when she returns.” There was a moment to consider his words before Special Class Ui decided to speak up.

“Let’s not forget that Yonebayashi is more ghoul than human, she could have --” Against his better judgement, Shirazu slammed his palms on the table and stood from his seat. It was one thing to say that she was just one investigator, but it was another story to question her loyalties. Before he could say anything, Urie grabbed arm and suddenly pulled him back into his seat. He probably didn't want Shirazu to mess this up for him. Akira spoke up, covering for Shirazu’s outburst.

“I believe, what Rank 1 Shirazu wants to say is that Yonebayashi has proven herself to be loyal to the CCG numerous times in the past. I do not believe she would defect so easily, however if that is the case, there is still information to be gained by retrieving her. In the event that she has switched allegiances, we will have the facilities to detain her in Cochlea for questioning.” It wasn’t what Shirazu wanted to hear, but at least she was attempting to diffuse the situation and not accuse Saiko of being a turncoat. All who had been glaring at Shirazu for his outburst quickly turned their attention to Akira as she began; all except Ui whose gaze lingered on the Quinx for a few moments longer. Shirazu groaned inwardly as he realized he was probably confirming Ui’s assumptions that the Quinx are dangerous. He was starting to realise just how much Sassan had deflected the open disdain towards them; without him, everyone’s attention would be focused solely on the Quinx. Noticing the dissent among the investigators, Director Washuu posed a vote,

“Those in favour of a recovery operation?” Kuramoto, his squad, Akira and the Bureau Director himself weighed in. The Quinx cast their votes as well, but Shirazu had a sneaking suspicion that their opinions didn’t hold nearly as much weight as other Rank 1 and 2 investigators.

“Those against?” Ui, Furuta and Special Class Washuu raised their hands. The Bureau Director was acting like a judge more than a director. Still, Shirazu was glad he was so level-headed; he had a feeling this would feel more like a dictatorship under Special Class Washuu’s command. He and Ui were hiding their true feelings well, not that they were a mystery, while Furuta looked like a child who had just tasted wine for the first time. Satisfied with the result, Shirazu relaxed as Director Washuu announced that Akira continue mentoring the Quinx in Sassan's absence. The first step was finding where Saiko was being held.

 

. - ---

 

Eto sat on the edge of the apartment complex she was currently calling home and idly observed Saiko and Ayato conversing below them. Tatara arrived, uninterested in the drama playing out. He was always so straight-laced, the least he could do was take a moment to appreciate how far they had come. His appearance meant it was time to report on the doves' actions. Though she was the one who requested this be done and although it was necessary to keep tabs on them for future plans, she found it very tedious. She allowed him to begin his report. He told her that the ghouls they had employed in Yotsume’s absence were unsure whether Kaneki had gained his memories back. At least if the information regarded her favourite plaything, things would pick up soon enough. He continued on, mentioning that Kaneki is being held in Cochlea, out of range of the listeners. Eto smiled, hearing this.

“We won’t have a need for her after all. That’s too bad, Ayato seems to have warmed up to her. Fate intends to bring him back to us whether we interfere or not.” Tatara did not respond, however she knew he was in agreement. Below, Saiko’s boisterous laugh reverberated through the complex which caused Ayato to storm off. He seemed lonely now that Yotsume was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so excited to show off the trauma report i made. very tired of editing this so take it as it comes. shirazu has been the easiest to write so far. i am shirazu. some how arima pov dominates this. expect another cool surprise next chapter. Then lots of boring, sorry.  
> I havent read the newest chapter and once I post ch3 ill read it but OMG i need to read it this is hell. look at that i posted it before one week was up. shoe-horned juzo squad in at the last minute only to forget to make htem do anything at the meeting. what a silent group[. maybe shirazu just didnt hear them or watch them. whatta jerk.  
> unreliable narrator -- or as i like to call it, "whoops i forgot, guess that character didnt know"  
> headcannon that arima likes reading so much hes also read random medical textbooks.. or: i just learned this in psych, now arima learned it too. clap.  
> editing from my phone is such a hassle.


	3. Old Scars, Never Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mother's love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The address used is the chiyoda ward office. I didnt make it up.

**To:** “Arima Kishou”  <arima.kishou@ccg.ne.jp>

 **From:** “Washuu Yoshitoki”  <washuu.yoshitoki@ccg.ne.jp>

 **Sent:** Monday, March 16, 2016  09:16 AM

 **Subject:** Requesting Observation of  Interghoul Communications between “Centipede” and “Fueguchi”

* * *

The request, submitted by Special Class Investigator Arima Kishou, for the temporary transfer of the S~-rated ghoul code-named “Fueguchi” and observation of communications between it and the SS-rated ghoul code-named “Centipede” has been approved if and only if the following conditions are met:

 

  1. All interghoul communications will be transcribed and recorded via audio and visual means and will be submitted to the Commission of Counter Ghoul Research Division pending analysis.

  2. The meeting must take place from 12:00 to 13:00 hours on March 18, 2016.

  3. The meeting will be held in a separate isolation cell on basement level three in Cochlea in order to keep the location of the SS-rated "Centipede" ghoul's cell location unknown to the S~-rated ghoul "Fueguchi".

  4. SS-rated ghoul “Centipede” will be restrained in a specialized straitjacket and heavily sedated with RC suppressants at the time of the meeting.

  5. S~-rated ghoul “Fueguchi” will be restrained with quinque steel handcuffs and weakly sedated at the time of the meeting.

  6. Special Class Investigator Arima Kishou must be armed and present in the cell at all times during said meeting.




 

Failure to adhere to any of these guidelines will be met with the extermination of S~-rated ghoul “Fueguchi”

 

和修 吉時

Washuu Yoshitoki

Bureau Director

Commission of Counter Ghoul

1-2-1 Chiyoda, Kudanminami

Tokyo 102-0074

Office: 03-XXXX-XXXX

Cell: 03-XXXX-XXXX

Email: washuu.yoshitoki@ccg.ne.jp

_DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any attachments are intended only for the individual or company to which it is addressed and may contain information which is privileged, confidential and prohibited from disclosure or unauthorized use under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, or copying of this e-mail or the information contained in this e-mail is strictly prohibited by the sender. If you have received this transmission in error, please return the material received to the sender and delete all copies from your system._

 

.- .-. .. -- .-

 

At exactly 1200 hours, Special Investigator Arima Kishou accompanied Fueguchi, restrained in quinque-steel handcuffs, into an empty high security cell. Cameras in each corner of the cell were set to simultaneously record audio and video. Arima sat in a sturdy chair next to the reinforced glass divider with an old-fashioned typewriter in his lap, prepared to transcribe everything said. Haise had not yet been brought in. He gestured for Fueguchi to sit on the sad plastic chair in the middle of the room across from the divider. Moments later, Haise was brought in on a hand truck by two armed guards. He was restrained in a reinforced straitjacket and was visibly sedated; not enough to knock him out, but enough so that he was lethargic. He immediately perked up, though, upon noticing Fueguchi. Once the guards removed Haise from the hand truck, he strode up to the glass and leaned his forehead on it to look down at Fueguchi. Upon seeing Haise, Fueguchi also responded by approaching the glass. It seemed to open its mouth to speak but promptly closed it again.

Haise introduced himself to Fueguchi as its mother and fussed about whether it was being fed. Fueguchi did not seem to understand Haise’s meaning at first, but when it did, its face contorted in confusion. When Fueguchi did not respond, Haise kneeled against the glass so he was closer to eye-level with it. His mannerisms were vastly different than the Haise that Arima remembered. Haise’s eyes were soft in a way unfamiliar to Arima. Haise continued, advising her to run and escape without him. Fueguchi was silent for a moment before it informed Haise of his previous name. Fueguchi placed both of its hands on the glass and watched Haise carefully. Haise seemed to ignore its words, shaking his head. He continued in a lower tone and tried to comfort Fueguchi. Occasionally, Haise’s eyes would dart to Arima. Fueguchi began shaking, hearing Haise refer to himself as “mommy”, but quickly composed itself. It seemed to grow angry as Haise continued. Fueguchi shook its head this time and asked Haise why he was pretending to be its mother. Its fist hit the glass divider upon saying mother. Once again, Haise ignored Fueguchi and continued in his hushed comforts. He mentioned how much himself and a father loved Fueguchi. It fell to its knees in front of the glass and stared down. Its fists clenched momentarily. Quietly, it whispered why Haise could not be its mother. Finally hearing this, Haise removed his forehead from the glass with a distant look in his eyes. They were unfocused and his demeanor seemed to change. Under his breath, he muttered,

“I see, Kaneki couldn’t save me.”

The moment the words left his mouth, his face contorted in a silent scream. He curled up on himself and, if his hands had been free, they would be clawing at his bandages again. Arima called for the guards to escort the two back to their cells. Fueguchi sobbed as the guards took it away. Arima scribbled notes under the transcription he was keeping then briskly walked out of the empty cell.

 

... .... .. .-. .- --.. ..-

 

It had been nearly a week since Akira began living with the Quinx. It had been nearly a week since the Quinx had last seen Sassan. She had been doing her best to fill in the void Sassan left, but it could never be the same. Every time Shirazu asked her about his whereabouts, she would avoid the question. It was getting to the point where he might have found himself taking drastic measures. The morning of the fifth day since Sassan’s disappearance, Shirazu asked Akira the same worn question. She was making breakfast. Although she was trying to take Sassan’s place, it was the first time she had actively make breakfast for them. She wore Sassan’s apron which brought about a feeling of discontent. Mutsuki and Urie had already woken up and were eyeing Akira at the island counter. The burning question weighed on all their minds; even if Urie refused to show it. Taking the opportunity, Shirazu told Akira frankly,

“It’s been five days; we need to know where Sassan is.” She hummed in response. At least she had heard the question. She stopped what she was doing and turned to the Quinx, apparently prepared to give them the answer they desired.

“Sasaki is being held in Cochlea.” They may have desired the answer, but it sure wasn’t what they wanted to hear. “After the last operation he sustained an injury which caused him to lose control. He’s only being held there until his wounds heal and he is fit to return to the field.” Mutsuki quietly gasps from beside Shirazu and Urie watches her with an intense gaze. Shirazu feels there’s something she’s leaving out; if it were just injuries, Sassan could heal at home. Noticing both Quinx glares, she clarified, “He seems to have taken on a new personality. In this state, he is unaware of himself and has been deemed too unpredictable to be left alone.”  There was quiet for a moment as the Quinx digested this information, their breakfast growing cold. A thousand questions poured into Shirazu’s mind: did Sassan forget us? Would he ever come home? The weight of losing Saiko and Sassan on the same day was heavy.

“If Sassan were here, he’d know what to do.” If Sassan were here, he’d charge in and rescue Saiko himself. Shirazu knew he was strong enough to. At least, he believed that before hearing about his current condition. It cast a light on Sassan, making him out to be a fragile figurine one nudge from shattering. Akira took this as an opportunity to change the subject to the upcoming operation.  
“Due to the previous success information gathering, it’s been decided that you three will go out posing as ghouls again to find information regarding Saiko. Juuzo’s squad managed to narrow down a location to the 15th Ward and I’ve already suggested the Quinx go in and probe for information.” Shirazu immediately perked up. There was finally an opportunity to save Saiko. He wouldn’t have to sit around waiting for people to decide her fate. Waiting for someone to make a decision was driving him crazy. Mutsuki seemed to withdraw into himself at her words. Although Shirazu still had some misgivings about letting ghouls go about killing people right under their noses, he understood that it was for a greater good; even more so now with Saiko gone. Urie didn’t give any signs that he had heard what Akira said through his headphones, but Shirazu could tell he was also ready to do this. They were just a few steps away from reuniting their family.

  
. - ---

 

The edge of the roof was a nice place to sit; it allowed her to see past the sparse trees and small buildings. The cool wind, gently blowing on her hair could have been relaxing. To anyone else, this would have been the perfect place to organise thoughts. It was far too quiet for her liking; too peaceful. From this high, she couldn’t hear the voices of Saiko and Noro below as they played, but she had could still keep them insight. She silently wondered when she had become so protective of them. Behind her, she heard Tatara approach with another report. He told her of the impending investigation regarding Saiko. Hearing this, Eto smiled.

“Why don’t we give them what they want? I’ve been thinking we need a change of scenery.” She paused for a moment to stand, clasping her hands behind her back and peering over the edge. “Tatara, make sure they “come across” the information they need.” Below, Saiko is animatedly explaining something inaudible to Noro. He doesn’t seem as if he understands, but Eto knows better than anyone that even if he doesn’t show it, he’s taking it all in. Noro takes out his kagune to show Saiko. She pokes at it curiously and it engulfs her for a moment. She is quickly released and, although looking a bit shaken, seems even more energetic. Her hands fly through the air as she tries to describe something snake-like, the huffs. She then releases her own kagune. The only sign of Noro’s recognition is his head turning a fraction of a degree towards it. Saiko’s kagune disperses and she doubles over with hands on her knees, panting heavily. Eto smiles again, without a care that Tatara is still waiting for her to finish. She turns and skips past him, heading to the door. Before she’s out of earshot, she has an idea.

“Why don’t we put on a show? This is a perfect opportunity to clean house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a week late. sorry. i really meant to upload The Gourmet and The Culinarian on wednesday and finish this by friday. oops. Ill try and have these up by wednesday each week. I should probably stop having other ideas.  
> "I have a headcannon"  
> i dont know whether its to show off or to clarify but, the way each perspective is written has different amounts of detail.  
> Arima is interested in the fact that Haise and Hinami are conversing, rather than their content. He only got permission under certain guidelines so he would be concerned about the cameras being in place, and hinami being sedated. stuff like clothing, i dont think, would be all that important. Also, important abut that (i feel kinda stupid writing this), arima doesn't consider ghouls human, he refers to hinami as 'it', but haise is close to him. i dont think he would consciously realise that he treats ghouls differently in that sense, of course in the killing sense he does. what am i even talking about. its not like you'll never know what they said. stay tuned  
> shirazu's a kid, he's worried so he's hanging on akira's every word. dialogue heavy, but he's still really conflicted so you got his personal thoughts in there.  
> eto, i imagine, is rather self-centered. you never see tatara's dialogue, only a summary of what he meant. also, you'd think being with people for years, you'd pick up on certain things about them. noro's real sharp, aint he? And who wouldn't wanna adopt saiko as soon as they met her?  
> did i need to explain myself? probably not. sorry.  
> But, hey, I'd love it if you guys left comments. Anything you think at all, even if its just 'gud', I'd love to hear... or read, rather. Anything I get wrong, misspelled, bad grammar. Especially bad grammar, i hate the stuff. If i made a mistake and didnt notice, call me out on it or whatever.  
> wait was that too much. also, i cant remember if i mentioned it but the . and - is morse code for the characters perspective.


	4. All Bark and No Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Control your teenage angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy thanksgiving, americans

Day 6 of Haise’s Confinement - 08:00

The next morning, I returned to Haise once again. He was unresponsive. It had taken much longer than most ghouls for his external wounds to heal due to the amount of RC suppressants he had been given. From the fact that he had returned to screaming, it was obvious his internal brain injuries had yet to heal. At least, at this point, he doesn’t pose as much of a danger to himself. I stood to watch him for a few moments before deciding to return tonight.

Arima

 

... .... .. .-. .- --.. ..-

 

Soon, the time came for the reconnaissance mission to begin. The first order of business that needed sorting was teams. As the 15th ward was known to be a dangerous place for both human and ghoul alike, the Quinx were put in pairs of two. Due to Saiko’s absence, teaming up would be difficult. Shirazu, with his poor sense of direction, would need to partner up with either Mutsuki or Urie. It’s well known that Urie and Shirazu don’t tend to get along well, so that pair was immediately forgotten, and Mutsuki may not be able to approach aggressive ghouls on his own. The next best idea was pairing Mutsuki and Shirazu together. Mutsuki would be able to help Shirazu navigate and act as a counterbalance to Shirazu’s fiery personality. This would leave Urie on his own to collect information.

Akira decided, based on Urie’s past recklessness in the face of work achievements, it would be better for him to pair up with Mutsuki. This would leave Shirazu to either improve his sense of direction or investigate areas near enough to the main roads that he wouldn’t get lost. In order to finalize the pairings, Akira asked the Quinx for their input. Eventually, despite Urie’s adamant protests and assurances that he would be better off by himself, they decided that Shirazu would be the one to investigate alone. Shirazu assured the other two that he would be able to function perfectly well without Mutsuki to help. The mission would continue for a maximum two weeks to allow the Quinx to gain the trust of the local ghouls and weasel out information from them.

The first step to getting Saiko back was putting on their masks and posing as ghouls. Their masks on their faces. Masks. Shirazu stood on a rooftop with Mutsuki and Urie, contemplating his mask. This piece of plastic let him deceive everyone he came across. It let him blend in with the monsters of the night -- let him become one of them. The thought of being considered the same as them, even for a short amount of time, was not pleasant. If anything, though, doing this would prove the Quinx’s usefulness to the CCG. This wasn’t something ordinary investigators could pull off, what with their human smell. This made him wonder if just a mask would be enough to hide his identity. The moment a ghoul recognised his scent -- any of their scents while on the job, their identity would be blown. Nevertheless, he donned his mask and prepared to begin the operation.

Shirazu was the first to encounter a problem. He stood on another rooftop overlooking a maze of  alleys sprawling beneath. The sun had just finished setting, and the near-full moon created a sharp contrast in shadows through the alleys. A languid breeze brought the smell of blood. It filled his nostrils and turned his stomach with the metallic smell. A primal instinct reared its head and his pulse quickened. It was simultaneously disgusting and enthralling and, although this wasn’t the first time he’d smelled blood, something about it was different. It may have been his heightened senses or his imagination, but he thought it felt malevolent. On high alert, he jumped down from his perch and quietly landed on the pavement. From the shadows, he heard a guttural grunt. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he found a ghoul pigging out on a meal. It noticed him, as well, and turned to him, blood dripping from its face and hands. According to it, Shirazu was in its territory. It was common knowledge that ghouls had hunting grounds and got into territorial disputes over them, but that thought hadn’t crossed Shirazu’s mind before approaching. Quickly, he explained that he was new to the ward and was unaware. If he got in a fight with a ghoul, he would have to kill it. If he didn’t, there was no doubt that the ghoul would find out he wasn’t a half ghoul. The ghoul seemed to understand, and its demeanor became lightened. The woman the ghoul was feeding on was attempting to crawl away as its attention was drawn away. It turned and clamped its hand around her throat then broke her leg, tearing and jerking at the knee until it popped off. Shirazu could feel the bile rising to the back of his throat as the ghoul offered him the severed leg as if he were a kitten learning to hunt. He refused it, surprising himself with his politeness, and left it to eat. He hated himself for letting that woman suffer when he could have saved her. He hated that he had to be nice to that monster. The only thing keeping him on track was the thought of reuniting their family and bringing Saiko home.

By dawn, the Quinx had returned to the Chateau to report on their findings. Urie and Mutsuki had overheard a group of ghouls talking about an Aogiri base in the ward. Urie added that they were “even stupid enough” to let the location slip. Shirazu told them of information about a blue-haired ghoul that had recently been hanging out in an abandoned apartment complex. He was sure the ghoul they were talking about was Saiko. With this information, they should have been ecstatic. Shirazu felt something was wrong, though. It had only been twelve hours and they already found all the information they needed. The others seemed to notice it, as well, as they were just as quiet. From this point, he thought they could either follow the obvious lead and run the risk of it being false or continue their investigation to find something more reliable. He asked the others to weigh in on their choices. There was still the possibility that the information they had found today was accurate and they could rescue Saiko. Shirazu decided that there was no cause for Aogiri to willingly give up their location. Voicing this thought to the others brought them all into agreement.  This meant that “Operation Rescue Saiko”, as he called it, would begin much sooner than expected.

 

.- .-. .. -- .-

 

Day 6 of Haise’s Confinement - 20:00

Haise was pacing around his cell when I returned to him, twelve hours later. He tensed up when he noticed my presence. He was acting differently; more aggressive. He sat on the edge of his cot again, this time crossing his arms and glaring. We sat in silence for a few moments while he waited for me to speak. Taking the chance, I began the usual round of questions. Upon asking his name, he scoffed but did not answer. I asked him again, but all I received was a “fuck off”. It was unusual for Haise to be so vulgar; considering how he had acted recently, though, it was not a surprise. Since he refused to tell me his name, I continued on, asking him if he knew who I was. To this, he asked why he would know a “shitty dove”. Although he had given a more coherent response, I felt we wouldn’t get very far in questioning. I decided I would come back tomorrow morning to see if he would be more cooperative.

Arima

 

Day 7 of Haise’s Confinement - 08:00

Since it is obvious that Haise is mimicking personalities of ghouls he knew in his past life, I decided to compile a list of Kaneki Ken’s known associates, living and dead. The only necessary information missing is the ghoul’s personalities. As the CCG does not recognise ghouls as anything more than killing machines, there is little, if any, information on the subject. Hopefully, Haise will give some clues as to which ghoul he is. When I entered his cell, Haise seemed prepared; sitting on the edge of his cot again. I took a seat opposite him and began the questions from the point at which we had left off. As I asked the questions, he seemed to grow more irritated, spewing expletives and curses more often. Seeing as I was still making no progress and my list was proving useless, I decided to level with him. Instead of referring to him as Haise, I asked what he was known as. Typically, ghouls are very protective of their personal information; CCG code-names are typically not included under that category. To this, he muttered “Serpent” under his breath. I flipped to Serpent’s file and quickly skimmed over it. According to the reports, during the Torso investigation, Haise had recognised Serpent. Pressing on, the next question that I thought would elicit a response was if he remembered attacking Serpent during that investigation. He spat out a comment about it happening once in the past, before apparently realising what he had said. He paused for a moment and his eyes widened. He then doubled over and held his head and returned to screaming. Based on these past few encounters, reminding him of his current situation triggers a switch in personalities. If he manifests a helpful personality, it would be useful to get as much information from him as possible. I will return in twelve hours to check his status.

Arima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> march 19th, 2016 is a 3/4 waning moon. if only I'd do as much research on term papers as I do for this story.


	5. Within the Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well aren't you a ray of sunshine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apparently this is updated thursdays now. oh well  
> the tags. what do i do

Day 7 of Haise’s Confinement  - 20:00

My visit to Haise tonight was marked with a change in his demeanor yet again. His personality changes seemed to be occurring faster, now. Upon entering, Haise flashed a wide smile. It sat uncannily on his face, never reaching his eyes and stretching his skin too far. It was so forced that, to anyone else, it would have created quite the opposite effect; scaring them off instead of inviting them in. In the three years that I had known Haise, he had never worn that sort of expression. Seeing as this personality seemed amiable enough, there could be a good opportunity to gather information.

Before I could begin questioning him, Haise started with a barrage of his own questions. He asked where he was and why he was locked up. I decided to humor him to gain his trust and answered them honestly. The same unchanging smile was still plastered on his face, the only indication of emotions from his eyes. They narrowed as he seemed to analyze the situation. After mentioning he was in Cochlea, he made it clear that there was no reason it as he was human. He emphasized the danger of keeping food in such close proximity to hungry ghouls. Although his ascertations would be correct if he were human, I decided against bringing that up. I had not yet begun to question this personality, and would like to have that chance. In order to do that, it was necessary to cooperate with his illusion.

When he reached the end of his questions, I had the opportunity to begin mine. Perhaps in recognition of my honesty, he seemed quite willing to give up his name: Nagachika Hideyoshi. The name was unfamiliar. I decided to investigate the name, but without knowing which characters he used, it may prove difficult. Perhaps he had purposely left that part out, to make it just a bit harder to find. A balance of honesty and falsehood.

I continued questioning Haise about who he believed himself to be. I began to direct the questions toward this personality’s personal history, focused on his family life. He began giving increasingly vague answers, trying to dodge the question with a _you know how kids are_ and _just like any other family_.  It almost seemed as if he didn’t know the information himself. It got to the point where he would tactfully avoid the question and steer the conversation back to myself, never losing that too-wide smile. The conversation flowed so easily, an observer would have mistaken it for a friendly chat. But this was a battle of wits; each trying to outsmart the other with their responses. It was clear that Haise was not nearly as skilled in this as I was.

As the answers became more unfocused, I decided to change the subject to Haise, himself. Or rather, the name he was previously known as: Kaneki Ken. When Haise -- or this re-imagining of Nagachika Hideyoshi -- heard the name, there was an almost imperceptible change. His answers began to consist primarily of _he didn’t like to talk about that_ or _I wonder, too_ ; each answer accompanied by a nervous tic. It seemed to be a sign that he was lying. Taking this as his unwillingness to talk about current events -- whatever current meant to Haise at that moment -- I, instead, questioned him about “he” had met Kaneki Ken. It seemed that he was far more willing to divulge this information. He went into detail about their first meeting as children after the death of Kaneki Ken’s mother and their subsequent intimacy. As his tale went on, he began pausing between thoughts. This was most likely done in an attempt to censor information he thought was unimportant.  Notably, he left much of the detail out of his recollection of their older years, ending it completely with Kaneki Ken’s disappearance. Although he claimed this occurred six months prior, I was sure this was just due to him being unaware of the current date. His withholding information became more suspicious than if he had been completely honest.

A complete profile on Kaneki Ken had been compiled before the Owl Extermination Operation and the missing information in Haise’s story coincided with Kaneki Ken’s interactions with ghouls. Namely, his operation that turned him into a ghoul. It was obvious that the human Haise was recalling was aware of Kaneki Ken’s nature and protected that information. From that point onward, his answers to further questions caused a shift in subject back to himself. This seemed to be a sign that he was unwilling to answer further questions, so I excused myself for the night. First, I need to look into any Nagachika Hideyoshi. I will return when I have more information.

Arima

 

... .... .. .-. .- --.. ..-

 

After finishing an official report on the reconnaissance mission, the Quinx were back in the stifling meeting room. Joining them were Juuzo squad, Special Class Kuroiwa Iwao, Special Class Marude Itsuki, and Tateshima Squad, the latter of whom Shirazu had not met. As the intelligence portion of the operation was finally done, these people would compose the group participating in the upcoming raid. Marude would be in charge of strategy, along with his subordinates. Kuroiwa would command the ground troops, Juuzo’s and Tateshima’s squad and the Quinx. Shirazu struggled to maintain composure when he realized that _the_ Special Class Kuroiwa would be leading the operation. He had met and was friendly with Kuroiwa Takeomi, but his father was a different story entirely. If Takeomi had the power to kill a ghoul bare handed, Special Class Kuroiwa could kill three without breaking a sweat. It was an honor simply to be in his presence. On the other hand, Shirazu was well acquainted with Special Class Marude. As much as Marude irked Shirazu, he understood on some subconscious level that Marude didn’t usually mean to personally insult the Quinx.  He realized that the investigator disliked the idea of the Quinx, but his protestations were usually founded on logic rather than that prejudice. At least, that’s what Shirazu told himself.

Although formal reports had already been submitted beforehand, it was protocol to summarize any relevant information before beginning the strategy meeting. Still dumbstruck by Special Class Kuroiwa’s presence, Shirazu couldn’t find the words to begin. Without missing a beat, Urie stood and delivered the report flawlessly. If Shirazu hadn’t known Urie, he would have assumed he was covering for him. Because he knew Urie, he assumed it was to prevent the entire squad from being embarrassed in front of such high ranking investigators. And introducing himself with those present wouldn’t be out of his scope of intentions, either. Even though technically Shirazu was the squad leader, he hoped there wasn’t a problem with Urie reporting, instead. After all, Sasaki is usually the one who spoke up for them. He doubted it made a difference who reported, as long as it was done; whatever would speed the process along.

“It took you all less than twenty-four hours to come to this conclusion. At any point did you think to question the validity of this information? To think they might have planted this information?” Marude was the first to speak up, taking his usual accusatory tone. It was a fine example of the right questions being asked with the wrong intonation. Of course they had questioned it. They had agonized over what the right decision was throughout the night and into the next morning. Eventually, Shirazu decided to go with his gut and trust it. There were still some doubts, but they were willing to take the chance. Being the squad leader, if they came up empty, he would be the one taking responsibility for it. The last thing he wanted was to sit in front of everyone dumbfounded like a jerk. He quickly gathered his thoughts and stood to respond so that all could hear.

“The location of Aogiri Tree’s base was overheard from a pair of ghouls conversing in passing. We believed they had no reason to lie since they were unaware of our presence. The information about Rank 2 Yonebayashi was confirmed by at least four separate and unrelated groups of ghouls. They were heard mentioning an ‘annoying blue-haired ghoul’ that had just arrived recently. From this, we concluded that the blue-haired ghoul is Rank 2 Yonebayashi. There is a high likelihood that she is being held at the base of operations previously mentioned.” Shirazu surprised himself with the ease with which he responded. He hoped that being squad leader was finally starting to pay off. In the past, he never would have been able to put his thoughts together so quickly. Especially not in front of so many high ranking investigators. He silently patted himself on the back as the other investigators momentarily digested this information.

“What makes you think that is the only stronghold in the ward?” Marude nearly growled the question. Shirazu was still clinging to the hopes that Marude wasn’t angry for the sake of being angry, but for the safety of his fellow investigators. He really didn’t want to make Marude out to be a bad guy. Although he seemed adamant to find some flaw in their investigation, he really couldn’t blame him. How could anyone assume anything credible was found in just a few hours of being out in the field? Shirazu repressed a shiver when he saw Marude’s scowl, but he kept a calm front and responded.

“We thoroughly investigated the 15th ward. There were very few places Aogiri could be hiding, considering it is largely residential. We think this information is accurate enough to act on.” Perhaps it wasn’t the smartest thing to say, given that their opinions were apparently worth very little, but it was the truth. Shirazu didn’t expect a positive response, as Marude barked back,

“You mean to say that we should waste resources and manpower storming a building just because you _think_ it’s the right one?” Somehow, Shirazu began feeling like a child being scolded. He had practically gone over every possible scenario in his head; he understood the implications of failure. If they failed, Aogiri might move Saiko -- might kill her. Hell, they could be torturing her for information as they speak. Shirazu did not want to even consider that possibility and focused himself back on the intensifying discussion. Special Investigator Marude was making it extremely difficult for anything to progress, as he typically does, and Shirazu’s patience was running thin. Before he could respond, a gruff “Maru,” came from the head of the table. Special Investigator Kuroiwa had spoken up. Perhaps it was in defense of Shirazu; perhaps it was to bring the conversation back on track. Whatever reason, he was grateful for it. Marude immediately backed down; he seemed to respect Kuroiwa enough not to argue with him. Even more surprisingly, Special Investigator Kuroiwa gestured toward Shirazu.

“If he’s sure.” Special Investigator Kuroiwa was always direct; never minced words. But this often lead to misunderstandings. Shirazu hoped the investigator was trying to say that, since Shirazu was sure the information was correct, they’d be going on with the operation. Since submitting the report, a scout squad had already been sent out to investigate the apartment complex the ghouls had mentioned. Once the team came back and reported on their numbers, the finalizations for the raid would be ready. All that was left of this meeting was to discuss strategies. Shirazu had never been one for memorizing tedious plans. This was probably because he had never felt he had a real reason to; if he got the job done, why would it matter how he did it? Things were different than before, Saiko’s life was on the line. Shirazu wouldn’t allow himself any screw-ups in this operation. He suspected Urie and Mutsuki felt similarly. They were all prepared to risk everything to bring her back safely.

 

. - ---

 

If there was one thing Eto loved almost as much as her puppets, it was putting on a show. Yes, she could clean up by killing the offending party herself, but this was much more entertaining. In order to bring her play to its climactic conclusion, some actors would have to be sacrificed. It wasn’t so concerning; there were plenty more ghouls were they came from. Saeki hadn’t been as useful as he promised he would be; not that promises indicate anything of a person’s capabilities. It seemed his psychopathic tendencies tended to run short when confronted by someone other than a potential ‘lover’. So far, all he had managed to do was keep out of the way. If he were more interesting, perhaps he would be allowed to live. At least he’ll get to see his precious ‘Tooru’ again. As Saeki had vehemently disagreed to guarding Saiko -- as he’s been told -- alone, Ayato will be accompanying him. But by no means, would he be there to protect Saeki.

On the off chance that Ayato gets killed, at least his death wouldn’t affect the order of things as much as if Miza or Naki had been sent. Without them, Eto would need to find someone else to lead their respective groups. They were important pieces in controlling the players and she couldn’t afford to let them die. Those she could afford to lose were weak. Weak ghouls who couldn’t even take down a single investigator. They’re more use to her as fodder than as subordinates. Besides, any tree needs pruning to grow strong. As fun as this small diversion was from her main goals, Eto needed to return to the 18th ward. To their main base.

 

-. .- -.- ..

 

“Stop throwing goddamn blue shells! You’re letting me into first ‘cause of that, aren’t you?!” Naki really wanted to win at least one race against Saiko. It didn’t help that she had a smug grin on her face.

“No, no, no, no, NO!” Naki screamed as Saiko’s character drove over a banana peel and spun across the finish line, into first. Saiko jumped to her feet and celebrated.

“Five straight wins, baby!” She punched the air, trying to piss Naki off. It was working.

“Rematch! You so cheated!” Naki was also on his feet, picking another race course. He had no idea which would make him beat her, but he knew the ones they had already played wouldn’t work. He chose a colourful stage set in space, confident he could win since he chose it.

“Rainbow road? You’re in for it big time!” Saiko shouted, as she sat next to him once again and grabbed the controller. Naki grunted in response, prepared to put everything he had into this match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wont kill him.  
> my writing is getting increasingly boring?? or maybe i just dont like it as much as i used to.  
> don't expect another chapter for a while. it's finals season and o god.  
> maybe the break will give me a chance to write a good chapter for once  
> naki's part is literally just everything dumbed down.


End file.
